Door lock



June 13, 1961 A. l.. PELCIN 2,987,908

DooR Loox Filed Feb. 12, 1959 1N VEN TOR. AL am r L PEI. c/N

1 Arron/Veys 2,987,908 DOOR LOCK Albert L. Pelcin, Maple Heights, Ohio, assiguor to The Eastern Maileable Iron Company, "Cleveland, Ohio, a corporation of Connecticut Filed Feb. 12, 1959, Ser. No. 792,811 9 Claims. (Cl. 70-146) This invention relates to door locks of the type which occupy a substantially flush position when installed in a recess or opening of an external surface of the door and which, although applicable to Various uses, are particularly suitable for the doors of utility trucks and other automotive vehicles because they normally do not have any projecting part likely to cause personal injury.

As one of its objects this invention aims to provide an improved flush-type door lock of a unitary construction adapted to be quickly and easily installed, and which is of a rugged and durable character comprising a relatively small number of parts adapted to be economically produced and assembled without need for differently shaped parts for rightand left-hand installations.

Another object is to provide a unitary door lock of this character having a handle member swingable relative to a body member for retracting actuation of a bolt, and wherein locking means carried by the handle member and movable relative thereto co-operates with lug means of the body member for locking the handle member in an inactive position, the locking means preferably comprising a key-actuatable cylinder-type lock unit mounted in an opening of the handle member.

A further object is to provide an improved door lock of the character mentioned in which the body member comprises a pan-like sheet metal stamping having reinforcing means on the bottom wall thereof and the handle member is a .sheet metal part having side flanges engageable with the reinforcing means as a stop means when Vthe handle member is in its inactive position.

Still another object is to provide an improved door `lock of the characterabove mentioned wherein a flange portion on the handle member forms a reinforcement for a bolt-actuating trigger of the handle member, and wherein the reinforcing means of the bottom wall of the body member comprises locking lugslocated on opposite sides of a trigger slot of the bottom wall and preferably having cam portions elevated above such bottom wall.

Other objects and advantagesof this invention will be apparent in the following detailed description and in the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specification and in which,

FIG. 1 is a front elevation showing thelock of this invention installed in a substantially ilush Vrelation in an opening of a swingable door;

FIG. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view taken 'through the lock and adjacent portions of the door and associated door-frame, as indicated by section line 2 2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a transverse section taken through the lock substantially as indicated by section line 3 3 of FIG. 2; and

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary section taken on section line 4--4 of FIG. 2 and showing the removable spring seat of the bolt housing.

The improved door lock or latch device is shown in the accompanying drawing as comprising, in general, a recessed body member 11 supporting a slidable bolt 12 whichis adapted to be projected to a latching position by a compression spring 13, and an actuating handle 14 swingably operable to retract the bolt against the action of the spring.

f States Patent C The lock 10 can be used in various different locations w and for various purposes, but is especially suitable 'for Patented June 13, 1961 Mice use on doors of automotive vehicles and particularly on the doors of tool compartments or the like of utility trucks. As one example of such use, the improved lock 10 is shown in the drawing as having been installed in an opening or recess 15 of the front or external surface 16 of a door 17 which is used to close a tool compartment or the like of such a utility vehicle. The door 17 is swingably mounted and, in its closed position, cooperates with adjacent vehicle structure such as the doorframe 18 of FIG. 2. A striker plate 19 mounted on the doorframe 18 is provided with an opening 20` into which the bolt 12 extends when the door 17 is in its closed position.

The body member 11 comprises a substantially panshaped sheet metal part, in this case a part of a quadrangular plan shape, having a substantially flat bottom wall 21 and pairs of opposed side and end walls 22, `23

Yand 24, 25 defining a shallow pan-like recess 26. The

recess 26 is alsoof a quadrangular shape and extends into the body member 11 from the front or top thereof and is preferably of a substantially uniform depth. The body member 11 also includes a laterally extending integral ilange 27 which is substantially continuous around the perimeter of the recess 26 and extends in an outturned relation thereto, The flange 27 overlies a portion of the door 17 and can be used as an attaching means for mounting the lock 10 on the door.

A bolt housing 30, preferably formed of sheet metal, is directly connected with the body member 11 and defines Ya hollow guideway 31 in which the bolt 12 is slidable. The housing 3i) is here shown as having a channel-shaped intermediate portion of a substantially quadrangular cross-sectional shape defining the guideway '31 anda pair of oppositely extending integral longitudinal flanges 32 and 33. The housing 30 is connected with the body member 11 by having the ilanges 32 and 33 secured against the at rear surface of the bottom wall 21 as by means of welding.

The bolt 12 comprises a bar or the like of a substantially quadrangular cross-sectional shape corresponding with that of the guideway 31 and is longitudinally slidable in the latter. The bolt is provided with a substantially flat end face '35 (see FIG. 2) at the inner or rear end thereof and at its outer end is provided with a convexly curved portion 36 for co-operation with the striker plate 19.

The compression spring 13 is located in the housing 30 in engagement with the inner end 35 of the bolt 12 and applies outward thrust to the bolt tending to project ythe same from the guideway 31 to the latching position shown in FIG. 2. The spring 13 also engages a seat 38 formed by a removable rear end wall of the bolt housing 30.

The seat 38 is normally retained in an assembled posi- 'tion in the housing 30 by a pair of opposed lugs 39 of the latter. As shown in FIG. 4, the seat 38 is in the form of a quadrangular fiat plate having a boss thereon for centeringco-operation with the spring 13. The seat 38 is of a size to be loosely received in the housing 30 and to be detachable therefrom by movement past the lugs 39, so that the spring 13 can be replaced 'inthe event of failure thereof. The boss of the 'spring seat 38 preferably has a hole 38a therein for insertion of a pick, or other suitable tool, to facilitate the removal of the seat from the housing 30.

The bolt 12 is provided with a longitudinal slot 40 extending for a portion of the length of the bolt and with a transverse thrust surface 41 at the rear end of the slot. The bolt is also provided with a transverse opening 40a communicating with the slot 40 and through which a 3 file, or other suitable tool, can be inserted for finishing the thrust surface 41. As shown in FIG. 2., the bottom wall 21 of the body member 11 is also provided with a longitudinal slot 42 which is in a substantially registering relation with a portion of the slot 40 of the bolt.

The handle 14 carries a rigid bolt-actuating trigger 43 having a blade portion 43a1 which extends through the slot 42 into the guideway of the housing 30 and engages in the slot 40 of the bolt. The trigger 43 is preferably made of sheet metal and is shown in FIG. 3 as comprising two adjacent substantially L-shaped sheet metal members having lug portions 43b secured to the handle 14, as by means of spot welding 45. The L-shaped members comprising the trigger 43 include stem portions in a backto-back relation to form the blade portion 43a.

As shown in the drawing, the handle 14 is preferably made of sheet ymetal and comprises a generally quadrangular substantially at plate portion 46 adapted to form a cover for a portion of the recess 26 of the body member 11. At the pivoted end thereof, the handle 14 is provided with an inturned flange 47 which engages a shoulder 48 of the trigger 43 for reinforcing such trigger. The handle 14 also includes a pair of inturned integral flanges 49 and 50y along the sides thereof and which lie adjacent the longitudinal side Walls 22 and 23 of the body member 11.

The handle 14 is pivotally connected with the body member 11 'by means of a hinge pin 51 which extend through the flanges 49 and 50 of the handle and has its ends mounted in the side walls 22 and 23 of the body member. The hinge pin 51 also extends through, and is partially supported by, the trigger 43. The drawing shows the handle 14 in its retracted or rest position in which its outer surface is substantially flush with the top surface of the ange 27.

The transverse thrust surface 41 of the bolt 12 forms an abutment face with which the blade portion 43a of the trigger 43 co-operates. When the handle 14 is grasped by the insertion ofthe fingers through the open end portion of the recess 26 and is manually swung outwardly of this recess, the blade portion 43*l applies inward thrust to the bolt 12 and retracts the same in oppositon to the spring 13. The withdrawal of the bolt into the guideway disengages the same from the opening 2l) of the striker plate 19 to permit opening movement of the door 17.

When the handle 14 is released, the spring 13 moves the bolt 12 outwardly causing the abutment face 41 to apply thrust to the trigger 43 in a direction to swing the handle inwardly of the recess 26 to its substantially Hush position shown in the drawing. The handle 14 will thus be held in a substantially ush position by the action of the spring 13 at all times except when the handle has been manually swung out of the recess 26. This normally liush position for the handle 14 is desirable because the handle then cannot be left in a projecting position in which it might cause personal injury by striking a pedestrian. Y

The length of the slot 40 Vof the bolt is substantially longer than the width of the trigger blade 43B', as shown in FIG. 2, so that the lock can be actuated to its latched condition 4by slamming the door shut. This eliminates any need for manual actuation or swinging of the handle 14 in moving the door to its closed and latched position p The door lock V10 is also provided with locking means which is effective between the body member 11 and the handle 14 for retaining the latter in its inactive or rest position. In accordance with this invention, the locking means comprises a swingable locking member 53 carried by the handle 14 and located on the underside thereof for co-operation with locking lugs 54 provided on the body member 11.

For the purpose of mounting the locking member 53 4 2 on the handle 14, the plate portion 46 of the latter is provided with a hole 55 in an intermediate portion thereof in which a -lock cylinder 56 of a conventional form is mounted and retained by means of a `lock nut 57. The locking member 53 is mounted on the inner end of a key-actuatable and rotatable component or plug 53 of the lock cylinder 56 so as to be pivotally movable relativeY to the handle 14. The locking member 53 has iinger portions 53a at the ends thereof and is thus supported on the handle 14 for swinging of these finger portions into co-operating engagement with the locking lugs 54.

The locking lugs 54 are formed by the adjacent end portions of a pair of reinforcing members 60 and 61 which are secured, as by spot welds, to the bottom wall 21 of the body member 11 on opposite sides of the slot 42. The locking lugs 54 are offset so as to be elevated above the bottom wall 21 to permit the finger portions 53a of the locking member 53 to engage thereunder, when the locking member is swung to a locking position in which it extends in a spanning relation across the slot 42 as shown in FIGS. l and 3 of the drawing. To facilitate the movement of the fingers 53a beneath the locking lugs 54, these lugs are preferably formed with twisted or deflected corner portions on the entry side thereof which provide for a camming action on the fingers for directing or guiding the fingers to their locking position beneath the lugs.

The reinforcing members 60 and 61 are preferably of a length so that the remote ends 60a and 61a thereof extend adjacent to, or into engagement with, the side walls 22 and 23 of the body member 11. These reinforcing members are ypreferably made of sheet metal and are of a thickness appropriate for the needed strength of the locking lugs 54 and also to enable the ends portions 60a and 61a to serve as a stop means engageable by the flanges 49 and S0 of the handle 14.

When the handle 14 is in its retracted or rest position shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the anges 49 and 50 will be maintained in engagement with the stop elements 60a and 61a by the expansive action of the spring 13 so that, whenever the handle is released after a manual outward swinging thereof to retract the bolt 12, it will always return to the same rest position with the surface of the plate portion 46 in a substantially flush relation with the top of the flange 27. The stop elements 60a and 61 also act as a bumper beams for absorbing the impactl shock of the flanges 49 and 50 whenever the handle is suddenly released from its outwardly swung position.

From the accompanying drawing and the foregoing detailed description it will now be readily understood that this invention has provided a novel flush-type door lock of a compact and practical construction comprising a relatively small number of parts adapted to be economically produced and readily asembled. Since the advantages of this door lock and the various structural features thereof have already been pointed out in the foregoing speciiication, they need not be summarized further at this point.

Although the door lock provided by this invention has been illustrated and described herein to a somewhat detailed extent it will be understood, of course, that the invention is not to be regarded as being limited correspondingly in scope but includes all changes and modiiications coming within the terms of the claims hereof.

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. A latch device comprising; a hollow mounting member containing a recess and having a bottom wall provided with a slot; a bolt housing on said bottom wall; a bolt slidable in said housing; a spring in said housing and Vbiasing saidv =bolt to a projected latching position; a

handle in said recess and pivoted on said mounting member for swinging relative thereto; trigger means connected with said handle and projecting into said housing through said slot for retracting movement of said bolt in opposition to said spring; and locking means eifective between said mounting member and handle for preventing the relative swinging of the latter; said locking means comprising lug means on said bottom wall, and a locking member on the underside of and pivotally connected With said handle Yfor movement relative to the handle to a locking position in holding engagement with said lug means. y

2. A latch device as defined as claim 1 wherein said lug means comprises a pair of lugs on opposite sides of said slot and elevated above said bottom Wall; and wherein said locking member, when in its locking position, engages under said lugs and extends in a crosswise spanning relation to said slot.

3. A latch device as dened in claim 1 wherein said handle is provided with an opening; and wherein the pivotal connection of said locking member with said handle comprises a key-actuatable cylinder lock mounted in said opening and having a rotatable plug to which said locking member is secured.

4. A latch device comprising; a pan-shaped sheet metal mounting member having a bottom wall provided with a slot, and side walls connected with said `bottom Wall and carrying lateral ange means for engagement with a support; said mounting member defining a recess lying between the planes of said ange means and bottom Wall; a bolt housing on said bottom wall and having a guideway connected with said recess by said slot; a bolt slidable in said guideway; a spring in said housing and biasing said bolt toward a projected latching position; a handle pivoted on said mounting member for swinging relative thereto and having a plate portion forming a partial cover for said recess when said handle is in a rest position; trigger means connected with said handle and projecting into said housing through said slot for retracting movement of said bolt in opposition to said spring; said handle having an opening in said plate portion; holding lugs on said 4bottom Wall on opposite sides of said slot; a key-actuatable cylinder lock mounted on said plate portion and extending into said recess through said opening; and a locking member swinging by said cylinder lock and having iinger portions engageable with said lugs for locking said handle in said rest position.

5. A latch device comprising; a pan-shaped sheet metal mounting member having a bottom wall provided with a slot, and side walls connected With said bottom wall and carrying lateral ange means for engagement with a support; said mounting member deining a recess lying between the planes of said iiange means and bottom Wall; a bolt housing on said bottom wall and having a guideway connected with said recess by said slot; a bolt slidable in said guideway; a spring in said housing and biasing said bolt toward a projected latching position; a handle pivoted on said mounting member for swinging relative thereto and having a plate portion forming a partial cover for said recess when said handle is in a rest position; trigger means connected with said handle and projecting into said housing through said slot for retracting movement of said bolt in opposition to said spring; said handle having side anges extending toward said bottom wall; and means reinforcing said bottom wall and engageable by said side flanges as a stop means when said handle is in said rest position.

6. A latch device comprising; a pan-shaped sheet metal mounting member having a bottom Wall provided with a slot, and side walls connected with said bottom wall and carrying lateral ange means for engagement with a support; said mounting member defining a recess lying between the planes of said flange means and bottom wall; a bolt housing on said bottom wall and having a guideway connected with said recess by said slot; a bolt slidable in said guideway; a spring in said housing and biasing said bolt toward a projected latching position; a handle pivoted on said mounting member for swinging relative thereto and having a plate portion for-ming a partial cover for said recess when said handle is 'in a rest position; trigger means connected with said handle and projecting into said housing through said slot for retracting movement of said bolt in opposition to said spring; said handle having side langes extending toward said bottom wall and also having an opening in said plate portion; reinforcing members secured to said bottom Wall on opposite sides of said slot and having their adjacent ends elevated above said bottom wall and forming locking elements; other portions of said reinforcing members being engageable by said side anges as a stop means when said handle is in said rest position; manually -actuatable means carried by said handle and mounted in said opening for pivotal movement relative to the handle; and a locking member swingable by said manually actuatable means and having nger portions engageable under said locking elements.

7. A latch device comprising; a pan-shaped sheet metal mounting member having a bottom Wall provided with a slot, and side walls connected with said bottom wall and carrying lateral flange means for engagement with a support; said mounting member defining a recess lying between the planes of said ange means and bottom wall; a bolt housing on said bottom Wall and having a guideway connected with said recess by said slot; a bolt slidable in said guideway; a spring in said housing and biasing said -bolt toward a projected latching position; a handle pivotally connected with said mounting member for swinging relative thereto and having a plate portion forming a partial cover for said recess when said handle is in a rest position; trigger means having base means secured to said handle and blade means projecting into said housing through said slot for edgewise retracting engagement with and causing movement of said bolt in opposition to said spring; said handle having side flanges extending toward said bottom Wall; and a hinge pin mounted in an opposed pair of the side walls of said mounting member and forming the pivotal connection for said handle; said hinge pin extending through the side flanges of said handle and through the blade means of said trigger means; said blade means and the intermediate portion of said hinge pin being in a co-operative supporting engagement; said trigger means comprising two substantially L-shaped sheet metal members each consisting of connected lug and stem portions; the stem portions of said L-shaped members being disposed in a back-to-back relation for forming said blade means, and said lug portions extending in laterally opposite directions away from said blade means for forming said base means.

8. In door lock mechanism; a pan-shaped sheet metal mounting member having a rear Wall provided with a slot, and side walls connected with said rear wall and carrying laterally extending front flange means for engagement with a support; said mounting member dening a recess lying between the planes of said flange means and rear wall; a bolt housing secured against the rear side of said rear wall and having a guideway connected with said recess by said slot; a bolt slidable in said guideway and movable therrealong to different operative positions; a spring in said housing and biasing said bolt in one direction along said guideway; a handle swingable relative to said mounting member and having a plate portion forming a partial cover `for said recess when said handle is in a rest position; trigger means connected with said handle and having a projecting portion extending into said housing through said slot for shifting said bolt in the other direction along the guideway in opposition to said spring; said handle having side anges extending toward said rear wall and also having an opening in said plate portion; pivot means extending through said side walls and said side anges for connecting said handle with said mounting member; holding members secured to the front side of said rear wall and lying on opposite sides of said slot; said holding members having their adjacent ends spaced from said rear wall and forming locking elements; key-actuatable means carried by said handle and mounted in said opening for pivotal movement relative to the handle; and a locking member swingable by said key-actuatable means and having finger portions engageable behind said locking elements.

9. Door lock mechanism as defined in claim 8 Wherein said pivot means comprises a hinge pin extending through said side walls and side flanges and through the projecting portion of said trigger means; and wherein said handle also has an end ange extending toward said rear Wall and engaged with said projecting portion for reinforcing said trigger means.

References cited inthe me of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Bleha Sept. 26, Craft June 2.5, Pelcin June 16, Mack Aug. 18, Young et al. July 17, Tasch et al. Sept. 18, Emanatian Apr. 29, Podlesak Dec. 15,

FOREIGN PATENTS Germany Feb. 1, 

